Pocket tissue package



Dec. 16, 1952 G. C. HITCHCOCK POCKET TISSUE PACKAGE 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 2l, 1948 Iza/venana aHaoiacodl, y jrg/dw va/f7 Uiorfa'aeys De@ 16, 1952 G. C. HITCHCOCK POCKET TISSUE PACKAGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 2l. 1948 De 16, 1952 G. C. HITCHCOCK 2,621,788

POCKET TISSUE TPACKAGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 21. 1948 Patented Dec. 16, 1952 UNITED STATS 'EET OFFICE POCKET TISSUE PACKAGE Guy C. Hitchcock, Peterborough, N. H. Application October 21, 1948, Serial No. 55,707

1 Cla-im. (Cl. 20S-57) This invention relates to improvements in pocket tissue packages. The principal purpose of the invention is to provide a simple, economical and convenient package which may be readily carried in a mans coat pocket or a ladys handbag, and which contains a number of facial tissue sheets so folded and arranged in a relatively rigid carton or box, that the individual sheets may be successively removed through a rupturable opening of the carton by grasping a folded margin of the outermost sheet and withdrawing it through said opening at an edge of the package, without removing the package from the pocket or handbag.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a package in which the individual tissue sheets are folded to provide six thicknesses or plies, the folds of which may be quickly shaken out by the hand grasping the folded, retracting margin, without laborious unfolding of the sheet. f,

To this end, the opposed longitudinal margins of each sheet are first infolded toward each other to furnish three plies of the tissue along said margins, and the ends of the folded sheet are then folded toward each other. The secondary fold may be made either by one transverse center fold which juxtaposes the ends, or, preferably, by two transverse folds which carry both ends onto the body of the folded sheet, to provide interior corners either of which may be grasped by the thumb and finger to withdraw the tissue from the package.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide a relatively stiff, flat carton or box which will hold the folded tissues in compact, undistorted form, and which has a readily removable window section, extending over the edge of the carton so that the detached window section affords ready access to the exposed folds of the tissue sheets and permits their easy withdrawal.

Further features and advantages of the improved tissue package will be apparent from the following description of the recommended embodiments of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, and will be pointed out in the appended claim. It will be understood, however, that the structural details of the carton or tissue sheets herein illustrated and de'- scribed, may be varied to suit particular conditions or purposes without departing from the essence of the invention, as set forth in said claim. In the drawings:

Y Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one desirable form of the improved package, prior to the removal of the detachable, partially cut-out win'- :I

dow section of the carton;

Fig. 2 is a similar view after the removal of the detachable window section and also illustrating the grasping by the fingers of an exposed, folded corner of the outermost tissue sheet, prior 2 to withdrawing the sheet from the end of the package;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the carton blank;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic perspective view indicating the manner of folding the individual tissue sheets contained in the package shown in Fig. 1;

Figs. 6 to 11 are diagrammatic edge views illustrating optional modes of forming the primary longitudinal folds of the tissue sheet of Fig. 5;

Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing a modified mode of making the secondary, transverse fold of the sheet;

Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. l, but partially broken away, illustrating a modified form of tissue package; and

Fig. 14 is a perspective View of a sheet of tissue having a modified fold as shown in the package of Fig. 13.

In the particular and preferredform chose for the purpose of illustration in Figs. 1 to 5, the improved tissue package comprises a substantially flat, rectangular carton 2l of paperboard or other suitable material, which may be formed in any conventional or desired manner from a blank such as illustrated in Fig. 4, or the like, to provide a relatively rigid box having relatively large sides at the top 22 and back 23, and relatively narrow, closed ends as at 24 and 25. The shape of the sides should correspond to the size of the folded tissues hereinafter described, and the thickness of the carton should be sufficient to accommodate a reasonable supply of folded tissues for personal use, for example ten or twelve separate folded sheets of facial tissue,

each sheet preferably comprising two or three` layers of thin tissue.

The carton has a removable window section defined by the cut-through tab indicated by the heavy line 26 and the broken or weakened lines 21 of Figs. land 4; and it will be observed that the weakened or perforated lines 21 extend over the box end 24, at 28. The package may thus be dispensed in sealed and sanitary condition, yet

the window section 29 may be quickly detached by the user by lifting the cut-out tab 26 andv tearing the paperboard along the weakened'lines 21, to provide a top opening 30 which flares to-A ward the edge 24 and extends over said edge, as shown in Fig. 2.

Each of the individual, folded tissue sheets 3| which are packaged flatwise in superposed rela` tion within the carton 21 are folded to provide six thicknesses of the material (whether single ply or multiply), and to present at least one and preferably two folded margins or corners 3'2 to be grasped by the ngers at the wide portion of the window 30, as indicated in Fig. 2. To this end, the tissue sheet is given primary and secondary folds, as indicated in Fig. 5, where the upper and lower longitudinal margins are each folded twice upon the body of the sheet, to provide two primary infolded margins 33 and 313 each of three ply thickness; and the end portions of the folded sheet are then folded transversely toward each other at the secondary fold lines 35, to provide the final six-ply sheet. The edges of the infolded end portions may substantially meet, or may be spaced from each other as shown in Fig.Y 2 to permit the folded corners '32 to be grasped more readily.

The Inode of making the primary, longitudinal folds may be varied according to the form ultimately desired or the folding machinery which may be available for the purpose. Six alternate types of folds are diagrammatically indicated in Figs. 6 to 11, in which Fig. 6 shows the folds also illustrated in Fig. 5, and the other views -illustrate obvious variations for accomplishing the same result. It will be apparent that the secondary folds of Fig. 5 may also be applied to the optional primary folds of Figs. 7 to 11; and that both end portions of the folded sheet need not be folded onto the same face of the sheet body (as in Fig. 5) if it is desired to fold said portions in opposite directions, in making the secondary folds.

Indeed, it is not essential that both end lportions be transversely folded onto the body of the sheet, as in Fig. 5. In the modification -of Fig. 12, for example, the sheet has been given Aprimary folds such as shown in Fig. 9 (except that the opposed folds are of substantially equal depth), and the ends of the longitudinally folded sheet are then folded upon each other `by a single secondary fold at 49. This folded sheet will fit the ycarton of Figs. 1 and 2, but will provide only one folded margin or corner, as at 4|, to be grasped by the fingers in withdrawing the tissue.

In each of the forms above described, a folded corner of ythe individual tissue sheet is disposed at the wide portion of the carton window 30 and near the opened carton edge. When such a folded corner is grasped by the'flngers, the folded sheet may be quickly and easily withdrawn through the top opening or the Aedge opening of the carton, without tearing the Atissue and the removed sheet may be unfolded to almost fully open condition by shaking the grasped corner.

It will also be apparent that the individual tissue sheets may be successively withdrawn while vthe opened carton is disposed upright in the 'pocket or in a handbag, without removing the package as a whole.

The modified form of tissue package shown in Figs. 13 and 14 is essentially similar to the forms previously described, but is designed particularly to accommodate tissues which may be mechanically folded by vconventional sheet-,folding machines. The carton 5| is of the same general size and shape as the carton 2| of Figs. 1 and 2, but the removable window section 52 is of `modied contour and is defined by a plurality of cutthrough lines 53 and intervening perforated or weakened lines 54 which permit easier detachment of said section. The window opening V55 extends partially over the end of the carton, as indicated at 56.

rIhe tissue sheets '51 are given primary folds of the form indicated in Fig. 7, and a single `secondary fold of the type shown in Fig. 12. In this instance, however, the folded tissues are placed in the carton so that one of the folded margins 58 of one of the primary folds, extending lengthwise of the carton, is exposed at the wide portion of the opening 55 in position to be grasped -by the ngers when the outermost tissue sheet is to be withdrawn through the widened mouth of said opening at the end of the carton. This arrangement thus affords the six ply tissue thickness of the previous form (Figs. 1 and 2), provides a folded margin to be grasped by the fingers, and permits successive tissues to be removed from the carton end while the carton is in a pocket or handbag and to be opened up by shaking the removed sheet.

A tissue package constructed as herein described is simple and economical to manufacture, especially by suitable folding and packaging rnachines, convenient to carry and especially handy and serviceable for personal use when the user is traveling lor when a large package of facial tissues is not immediately available.

I claim:

A pocket tissue package comprising a flatsided, relatively thin carton having closed top, bottom, side and end walls of flexible sheet material, the top having weakened lines extending outwardly from its central region to one end wall of the carton at points remote from the adjacent side walls thereof and joined across said end wall, thereby defining a detachable window seetion which, when manually removed, provides an opening through va portion of said top wall while leaving overhanging side margins of the top wallintact, and a stack of superposed folded tissue sheets, each sheet having opposite margins folded twice toward the center thereof to provide adjacent folded margins each of three pl: s. and the unfolded margins of lthe folded .f eet beine again folded transversely toward the :er of the top of the folded sheet to provide opposed free margins each spaced from the center of the sheet, opposed folded corner portions of margins being disposed beneath said winier of one of said margins may be grasped :angers to remove the topniost sheet of the k of tissues contained within the carton.

GUY C. HITCHCOCK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,493,718 Zalkind May 13, 1924 1,663,391 `Schaffer et al Mar. 20 1928 1,681,611 Hansen Aug. p21, 1928 1,681,639 .Hansen Aug. 21, 1928 (3.3 V1,962,762 Campbell .June 12, 1934 2,002,691 zCofrin May 28, 1935 2,020,799 Randall Nov. 12, 1935 2,027,258 Winter et al Jan. 7, 1936 2,085,882 v'Wandel July 6, 1937 (-,5 2,118,380 Gresenz May 24, 1938 2,137,398 Helber Nov. 22, 1938 2,195,622 Fourness etal Apr. 2, 1940 2,244,630 Metternich June '3, 1941 2,448,819 Mitchell Sept. 7, 1948 To 2,529,853 Toggart Nov. 14, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country 'Date 530,744 Great Britain Dec. 19, 1940 

